CLEVELAND – Pro Bryan Coates of Amherst caught a two-day total of 10 bass weighing 39 pounds, 2 ounces to lead round one of the EverStart Series Northeast Division event on Lake Erie near Cleveland.
Pros are competing for a Ranger 519VX powered by a Yamaha or Evinrude outboard, Minn Kota trolling motor, Garmin electronics and EverStart Batteries plus $10,000 cash. Ranger also awards an additional $10,000 to the winner if he is a qualified Ranger owner for a total of $60,000 in cash and prizes.
“I’m fishing a watermelon Phoenix tube in 16 to 30 feet of water,” Coates said. “That’s a standard pattern out here. I’m fishing multiple rock piles, all in the same general area.”
Coates said he spends quite a bit of time fishing Lake Erie, so he knows where the big fish are. “These are fish I’ve found in the past two years,” he said. “The action has been steady, and the wind was nice today, especially when compared with yesterday.”
Rounding out the top five pros are Christopher King of South Amherst (10 bass, 36 pounds, 1 ounce); David Smith of Del City, Okla. (10 bass, 35 pounds, 15 ounces); Steve Clapper of Lima (10 bass, 35 pounds, 1 ounce); and Warren Wyman of Calera, Ala. (nine bass, 31 pounds, 2 ounces).
Russell Lane of Prattville, Ala., caught a 6-pound, 9-ounce bass to win the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Pro Division and earn $525.
John Wilson of Hazelwood, N.C., caught a two-day total of nine bass weighing 33 pounds, 14 ounces to lead the Co-angler Division. After leading the event on day one, Wilson again fished with a drop-shot rig to catch his bass and hold his lead through the first round. He did report that his bass came from shallower water on day two.
Rounding out the top five co-anglers are Rick Horner of Bridgewater, Conn. (nine bass, 31 pounds, 10 ounces); Teddy Bradley of Mishawaka, Ind. (nine bass, 25 pounds, 5 ounces); Dale Fisher of Watsontown, Pa. (seven bass, 22 pounds, 11 ounces) and Wayne Wininger of Waynesboro, Pa. (seven bass, 22 pounds, 4 ounces).
Bradley and Mike Orbell of Silver Spring, Md., each caught a 5-pound bass to tie for the Snicker’s Big Bass award in the Co-angler Division and earn $102.50 apiece.
Anglers caught a total of 454 bass weighing 1,485 pounds, 2 ounces on the second day of the event.
Voinovich Park located on 9th Street in Cleveland hosts the daily takeoffs at 6:30 a.m. Saturday’s weigh-in will be held at the Wal-Mart located at 3606 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights beginning at 4 p.m.
EverStart Series tournaments are four-day events consisting of two rounds. The entire field competes Wednesday and Thursday, and the top 10 pros and co-anglers – based on two-day accumulated weights – advance to the final round. Anglers start at zero Friday, and pro and co-angler winners are determined Saturday based on two-day accumulated weights.